Reading
over last week’s piece I realised two things: First that I’d got the
name of the by-election constituency wrong! It’s Dunfermline WEST,
not East – so sorry, I’ve always had trouble with norths and souths,
easts and wests, in fact I’ve always had trouble with directions
generally (I am it has been said ‘directionally challenged’). I’ve had
many spectacular unexpected journeys and consequences by getting lost,
some good, some bad, but all interesting. So, Dunfermline WEST
by-election, and a grand, hard-grafting candidate in Douglas Chapman:

Douglas Chapman

The
second thing that loomed out of last week’s contribution at me today
was that it was quite depressing. Again, sorry, but I guess it was
written after some issues from constituents that I was just unable to
help with; one elderly person who told me of experiences whilst in
institutional care as a child and wants no more than recognition from
the institution and society generally that these things happened – the
Executive’s ongoing refusal to hold a Public Inquiry, and a couple of
immigration cases – ‘reserved’ matters of course even though the folk
involved are Scots or want to be. I know we can’t solve everything for
everyone, but sometimes the frustration of not being able to help when
you are faced with people’s pain just gets to you.

On the
other hand there is a certain ‘buzz’ about getting a result for
someone and over the last week David and I have managed to be of help
to some folk. For example, an
elderly lady housebound for over a year, struggling to get an electric
wheelchair which would allow her to leave the house and aid her
mobility inside her home too. Initial assessments of her abilities had
judged that she did not fit the criteria for such a chair, but after
some false starts with manual wheelchairs we helped her gain another
assessment and it now looks as though our client will be receiving an
appropriate chair in due course which will allow her a bit more
freedom and independence.

Another successful
outcome (two in one week - I'll be getting dizzy at this rate!) was
with a constituent’s ongoing housing issue – some of her problems have
been largely resolved and she has now had some reassurance of further
help to upgrade her home and make it a more habitable place to live.
Our involvement here was mostly to give support to someone who lacked
the confidence to deal with officialdom on their own. Sometimes in
fact, when it is shown that someone is no longer acting alone, but is
getting a bit of help to argue their case, a change in attitude from
that same officialdom happens pretty darned quickly! If only that were
always the case/if only that weren’t necessary.

As I say, that is not
always the case, and intervention from volunteers, Councillors, MSPs
or whoever, does not always rectify matters, as recently when trying
to secure an on-street parking place for a seriously ill, disabled
person. Despite apparent contradictions in Council policy the request
was refused and time is now against the family's efforts to make life
a little easier for their loved one. Bureaucracy is often unwilling to
consider unusual, individual cases on their own merits and seems blind
at times to what seems to many people simple to be fair or decent.

In
between dealing with constituency cases last Monday and
Friday/Saturday of course the parliamentary side continued. Two
committees on Tuesday (heavy!) – Standards in the morning and Europe
and External Relations in the afternoon. Just before recess Parliament
had debated the revised Members’ Interest Order as put together by the
Standards Committee (this is the Order which determines what MSPs must
declare etc.) and now it’s being passed to an ad-hoc committee for
consideration and discussions of amendments etc.

We had
a lively Europe Committee – we even had a vote! The big issue was how
to deal with the Public Petition from the Cod Crusaders asking the
Scottish Parliament to use its influence
to return control over its fishing industry to Scotland. The question
was whether the European Committee should refer it to the
Environment & Rural Development Committee or write to the Environment
and Rural Development Committee inviting
it to consider the petition. Now, I know this all sounds very anoraky
but there is a distinct difference; ‘referring’ would mean that the
European Committee had ‘washed its hands’ of it and if the Env/Rural
Committee agreed they did not want to consider it then that would be
the end of the matter/‘inviting consideration’ would mean that if the
Env/Rural Committee says they do not want to consider it, or they have
no time to consider it, then it would come back to the European
Committee for further discussion and decision. There were strong views
expressed and at the end of the day the ‘inviting consideration’
option won by five votes to four (I got to be the decider). The
weblink is at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/committees/europe/meetings.htm
for those that I know have been following this issue. If you need a
hard copy, just let me know.

Wednesday brought more
European work – in Glasgow this time attending a consultation day in
relation to the next round of Structural Funding. Much reduced funding
coming our way and changes to be implemented in how the funds are
administered. I learned a lot that day before dashing back through to
Edinburgh for a bit of the afternoon’s Chamber debate on The
Executives International Strategy – I didn’t get to contribute, but
what I did hear from the Executive wasn’t exactly exciting or
inspiring.

Running around madly as
usual on Thursday – chamber (the Air Route Development Fund/Social
Work Inspections/First Ministers Questions/ Ministers Questions),
meeting with VisitScotland to hear about their latest
initiatives/Conveners’ Liaison Group Meeting (another committee – made
up of conveners of the other committees!), Kilmarnock College students
Question Time (it was more of a general discussion about our political
system and the expectations of both elected members and the
electorate, and highly enjoyable – I would like to do more of that).

So that was last week,
apart from the quick Healthy Heart Check kindly offered to Ministers,
MSPs and their staff, and parliamentary staff by the British Heart
foundation and Pfizer on Thursday evening – I seem okay with blood
pressure slightly low and cholesterol slightly high. I was told to
take more exercise though and try to cut down on stress levels – I
don’t feel stressed particularly, though unusually have had some
trouble sleeping lately. However, my ‘trying to get to sleep’ story
took place last night (Monday 23rd) so will have to wait
until next week. You can have my ‘daft wumman’ story though; drove to
the entrance of the Parliament’s carpark and was asked by Security to
open my boot and bonnet for checking – boot fine, but I had no idea
how to open the bonnet, couldn’t find anything anywhere that would
help – no lever, bit of string, button, nothing. Had to get out and
ask the Security chap to go in the car and find it – how embarrassing,
and right up the street of all the chaps behind me in the queue. You
know, I still don’t know how to do it, I forgot to watch what they did
– too busy apologising, and I’m determined I’m not going to ask.
Please don’t tell anyone!

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